IOSR Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE) e-ISSN: 2278-1684,p-ISSN: 2320-334X, Volume 8, Issue 3 (Sep. - Oct. 2013), PP 50-54 www.iosrjournals.org The Comparison of theMaterials in Styles of Iranian Architecture and its Effect on the Form of the Building before the Islam’s Entry to Iran 1Mohd Hamdan Ahmad, 2Malsiah Hamid, 3Mehdi Hanafi Koumleh, 4Nora Roostapoor 1, 2, 3 Department of Architecture, Faculty of Build Environment, University Teknologi Malaysia, 81310 UTM Skudai, Johor, Malaysia 4Department of Architecture, Islamic Azad University, AstanehAshrafieh Branch, Iran Abstract: During the history,different elements have been determined as influential factors affecting the architecture in different areas. The historical events and political alterations as well as religious and economical changes can directly lead to the architecture style. One of the historical countries with rich architectural history that can be increasingly exposed to more alterations is Iran. In general the architecture styles in Iran can be categorised in six groups. These groups can be divided in two periods before and after Islam’s emergence in Iran. The “Parsi” and “Parti” architecture styles belong to the former period and “Razi”, “Khorasani”, “Isfahani” and “Azari” were common in the latter period, after Islam. Such alterations brought in a variety of architecture styles, in this country, due to theoretical alterations. Furthermore, some novel architectural styles were resulted from a number of physical conditions which had also effects on the theoretical architecture. The current research intends to put an emphasize on the alterations in materials used in two historical periods of Iran, “Achaemenid” Empire (550–330 BCE) and The “Sassanid” Empire (224 CE to 651 CE) resulting in the changes in Iranian architecture. It also aims to explore the differences and the reasons of changes in the materials used for constructions and the influence that these changes had on the architectural style in the above mentioned periods. Keywords:Achaemenid, Achaemenian, Sassanid, Sassanian,Pasargad, Susa, Perspolis, Qhal’eDokhtar, Sarvestan, architecture style, Parsi, Parti, Khorasani, Azari, Razi, Isfahani, material, Empire, History, Building, Flat Roof, Arched Roof, Arch, Dome. I. The Achaemenid Empire: In the sixth century BCE, the Iranian king-Cyrus the Great- established an empire called the “Achaemenid” Empire (/əˈkiːmənɪd/; Old Persian: Haxāmanišiyā; c. 550–330 BCE), or First Persian Empire[1] in central Western and Central Asia. Achaemenid Persian Empire was considered as the greatest empire on the earth in the ancient history then. It was dominant from Anatolia and Egypt across western Asia to northern India and Central Asia. It started to emerge when King “Astyages” of “Madia”, ruled over a big area of Iran and eastern “Anatiolia” (Turkey) in 550 B.C... In that time, Persian king, “Cyrus” “the Great”, (r. 559-530 B.C.), who was his neighbour in Iran, overcame him. It turned over the stability of power in the Near East. The benefit of the lost of Media in went to the “Lydians” of western Anatolia under King Croesus and made the Persian troops to move to east and to fight with the Persian troops. The Lydian army left the battle while Persians went forward to the Capital city of “Lydians” located in Sardis, surrounded it for two weeks and could defeat and conquer it.Before that Babylonians and Egyptians had allied themselves with “Lydians” therefore Cyrus needed to deal with the three important strong powers. Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterraneanwere ruled by Babylonian empire. Persian forces won a victory over the Babylonian army at the site of “Opis”, east of the Tigris in 539 B.C. Then political prisoners were freed and temples were returned to their original condition by Cyrus after he went to Babylon showing himself as a Mesopotamian King. Cyrus did not conquer Egypt. Butin 525 B.C. his son Cambyses defeated the Egyptian troops in Nile delta and after fighting for ten days, Persians overcame the ancient capital of Egypt, Memphis. www.iosrjournals.org 50 | Page The comparison of the materials in styles of Iranian architecture and its effect on the form of the Achaemenid’s territory (550–330 BCE) At that time, there was a great diversity of materials in Achemenidsdue to the empires in them. In fact they were considered as the resource of this diversity.In the time of Achaemenids, the source of materials across their empires were very great and various.As a result, a specific type of architecture emerged. In this style, odd materials were used that were different from the new architecture in Iran. A stone on which Darius I(Old Persian Dârayavauš) ("The Great") (r. 521–486 B.C.) the accurate information can confirm it. "... Yaka timber was brought from Gandara and from Carmania. The gold was brought from Sardis and from Bactria ... the precious stone lapis-lazuli and carnelian ... was brought from Sogdiana. The turquoise from Chorasmia, the silver and ebony from Egypt, the ornamentation from Ionia, the ivory from Ethiopia and from Sindh and from Arachosia. The stone-cutters who wrought the stone, those were Ionians and Sardians. The goldsmiths were Medes and Egyptians. The men who wrought the wood, those were Sardians and Egyptians. The men who wrought the baked brick, those were Babylonians. The men who adorned the wall, those were Medes and Egyptians." A piece of Darius Inscription on the variety and large quantity of Achaemenid’s Architecture Materials It was the first time that people saw such a great royal and glorious art. The artists as well as the materials were from all over that empire. Then, it was a diverse art formed by a combination of designs as decorations, styles, aptitudesthrough which the Persian Empire was reflected. The information that Darius presented indicated that most of the material utilized then must have provided from outside Iran. As well a number of those working in Achaemenids constructions such as “Susa”. “Perspolice” and “Pasargad” were from different countries such as Babylon, Greece and some other countries where their thoughts and opinions could influence the architecture then. Moreover, the extent and expansion of materials made construction of ambitious structures possible so that no buildings similar to them could be found for long while following the time that they were built. In general, the features of Achaemenids architecture were due to the span of material. In that time, the roofs of the buildings were high and areas between the columns were wide. Some examples of Acheamidesarchitecture Pāsārgād, Ancient Greek Πασαργάδαι), the capital of Cyrus theپاسارگاد :are shown in (Pic1: Pasargad (Persian Great (559–530 BC)), (Pic 2: Persepolis (Old-Persian: Pārśapura[2]) was the ceremonial capital of the ;[ Shush [ʃuʃ]; Greek: Σοῦσα [ˈsuːsaشوش :Achaemenid Empire (ca. 550–330 BC)) and (Pic 3: Susa (Persian .(ShushānׁשּוׁשָׁןShush; Old Persian: Çūšā-; Biblical Hebrewܫܘܫ :Syriac Pic 1: Pasargad Pic 2: Perspolise www.iosrjournals.org 51 | Page The comparison of the materials in styles of Iranian architecture and its effect on the form of the Pic 3: Flying Bull Mosaic Susa II. The Sassanid Empire: The residents of the Sassanid Empire (/ˈsæsənɪd/; also known as Sassanian, Sasanid, or Sassanid ) or Neo-Persian Empire,[3]knew it as “Ērānshahr” and “Ērān” in Middle Persian. This is why the final Iranian empire preceding the emerge of Islam, was addressed by the New Persian words “Iranshahr” and Iran [4]. That time, from 224 CE to 651 CE.[7][5], the “Sasanian” Dynasty were the rulers. For over 400 years [6], the Sasanid Empire, that was the next Empire after “Parthian” Empire, was one of the major powers ruling in Western and Central Asia while Roman–Byzantine Empire was another empire at the same time. The Sassanid territory (224 CE to 651 CE) Persian architectural style which was very successful with greatest achievement is improvement during the Sassanid era is considered as Sassanid architecture. In the time that Sassanid Empire was dominant (224-651 CE), most accomplishments were observed in Persian civilization in a lot of different approaches. In this period, before the Muslims invasion, the last important pre-Islamic Persian Empire was formed. Indeed, the Persians were the origin the culture, architecture, writing and some more skills which was later considered as Muslim culture, architecture and so on in a bigger extent in the areas dominated by Islam. Similar to the Achaemenid Empire, the rules of the country in the Sassanid period started in the province of “Persis” (Fars). They believed that they took the place ofAchaemenians following the Parthin ruling had stopped and gave the responsibility to them to give the glory of Persia back to this empire. However, as the territory Achaemerinas period was bigger than the territory in in Sassanid time, the materials available for Achemenianswere more and more various than what Sassanid could access. Moreover, the Achaemeniyans were more powerful than Sassanians and they did not exist in the same period of time, Achaemenians that were newer needed to make more constructions. Hence, newer local material had to be used as the substitution of the materials used before that time. Now the question is that what the most appropriate newer materials were? Iran can be considered as one of the most significant resources of dust. Thus, the heavy and large stones could be replaced by bricks. Moreover, in order to utilize little bricks and for covering broad and long roofs, a different type of construction was needed. Then, two architects from Iran made two masterworks called the “Arches” and the “Domes”!In that period, two Iranian masterworks weredesigned for the first time. The arches in Sassanid buildings were between 50 and 85 feet high. They used to be simple and there was not decoration. While in a single casethere are little arches around the big arch and the influence is satisfactory.